The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-05
Ex-Gov. BuLLoCK's VIEWS.
He Thinks the Defeat of Prohibition
Will Improve Atlanta's Whisky.

VIII Improve Atlanta's Whisky.
Ex-Gov. Rufus B. Bullock passed through
the city last night on his way to Atlanta
from New York. The Ex-Governor is
known to have very pronounced views on
the temperance question, although they
differ widely from the views OF those VINO
voted the same way that he did. He was
standing in the Screven House corridor few
minutes before train time last night chatting
with friend and MORNING NEWS repre-
sentative. In the course of the conversation
he was asked his views on the situation in
Atlanta and hereplied that he did not know
much about it, as he had not been there
since the election.
~ know that Prohibition has been de-
feated,n he added, land am glad of it.
am not a Prohibitionist, because / am
temperance man and prohibition is not
temperance There has been a very great
change in the sentiment in the county. The
impression has been that Atlanta had voted
for prohibition two years ago, but she did
not. Atlanta voted against it, but the
county carried it. The colored people held
the balance of power this time, but the
whites were so evenly divided that it is
doubtful what the result would have been
if the negroes had not voted at all. Every
precinct in both the city and county went
wet except one small one in the county
where the dry majority did not amount TO
more than twelve or thirteen votes. Why,
the Sixth ward in Atlanta voted against
prohibition, and that is the godly ward. 1t
is where all the preachers and the ladies
who are so enthusiastic in their advocacy of
prohibition live. In some of the wards
there are but few negroes, but they all
voted for liquor"
docs this defeat of prohibition mean
high licenses"
L II. l.1AL 81
that it does, but it is doubtful. The belief is
that the City Council has the power to grant
or refuse licenses, and to fix the amount of
the tax That will have to be decided by
the court, and if the court upholds that view
of the case, we will have a high license
Council. The Prohibitionists now have the
majority in the Council"
IF they have a majority and can refuse
licenses, why can they not enforce prohibi-
tionP'
THAT would only be another way of en-
forcing law that has been def ated, and /
do not think such plan could be success
fully carried out"
do you think that the Atlanta defeat
will be check to prohibition i'll Georgian
81 do not know that it will / don't
think any of the large cities will adopt it.
The recent election was of interest be-
cause Atlanta was the only city of $4,000
bitlon had been enforced / do not be-
lieve that it could be carried in Savannah,
or Augusta, or Macon, or any of the larger
places, but cannot tell what the effect will
be in the country"
What do you think will be the effect
upon Atlantap
"Well, the truth of it is Sthat a mans
views upon that point depend upon how he
stands on the first question. The Prohibit
tionists think the bolt IN has dropped out;
think it has just been fixed in so it can't
drop out. The adoption of the law ruined
the wholesale liquor business, and Atlanta
was a great distributing point. Many
stores were left vacant, and
rents went down, but perhaps other
lines of business would have come
in and filled up the gap. One thing the
election will do, it will enable the citizens
to get good whisky. The whisky which
they have been drinking was surreptitious
whisky, and it was bad. The dealers ran in
the poorest kind of liquor and charged the
highest prices Now whisky selling will be
treated as business, and the dealers will
have to sell good liquors. Boston is the
place where such things are properly ham
died, and there the saloons are run without
any screens, and If you buy drink and
don't get good one you can report it and
the saloon will be overhauled."
''lt was a pretty warm campaign" was
suggested, and that caused the Ex-Governor
to smile approvingly.
"a regular New England affair."
he added. Substitute whisky
for negro and you have the
old abolition days over again. great
many people would not vote because they
did not wish to be abused and made objects
of contempt by the other side People
called at the houses and asked how many
voters lived there and how they would vote,
and if they were going to vote wet they
would want to fall down and pray with
them then and there"